Monday, April 1, 2013

Superfeet

Brian at Wasatch Running is a Certified Pedorthist
(C.Ped). The field of Pedorthics is the
study of footwear and supplemental devices for footwear; including orthoses,
prostheses, shoe modifications, shoe fitting and shoe fabrication. The licensing board for Pedorthics is the BCP
(Board for Certification in Pedorthics) The BCP is recognized by the American
Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and the ABC (American Board of Certification in
Orthotics and Prosthetics).

I asked Brian several weeks ago why my right foot still hurt
after longer runs. After examining my
foot, he explained that I had a hyper-mobile first ray. My first metatarsal has more range of motion
than normal, which causes friction at the joint where I’m feeling the
pain. He brought out a scale model of
the bones in the foot to show me exactly where this friction is occurring. Then
he went into the back room and came back with a pair of bright pink shoe
inserts. “I just happened to have these
lying around,” he explained. “Try them
and see if they help.”

I’ve been trying them since.
I’ve found that as I get further into a long run – say the four to five
mile point, I’ll start to feel numbness in my toes. This is my reminder that maybe my technique
is slipping and I consciously remind myself to bend my knees and lift my heels
so I’m not pushing off. But here’s the
best part – I don’t have soreness in the arches after the long runs
anymore.

The brand name of these inserts is “Superfeet.” According to their web site, www.superfeet.com, they sell insoles for
skiing, snowboarding, hiking, running and walking, soccer, cycling, golfing,
hockey – even for industrial and military use.

Their ultimate test came in the Red Rock Relay – Dixie. I ran two legs separated by three hours
rest, 5.17 miles and 7.43 miles. That’s the
furthest I’ve run since I was 21! And
get this – no foot pain!